Tuesday 31 August 2021

First Class Post - August 2021

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Ad: Titles with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher for the purposes of providing an honest review.

A stack of books on a white sheet against a black background with silver splatters.

First Class Post takes a look at the books I have acquired over the previous month. It's been a pretty good month for me, quite a few titles here! I spent a bit more than I probably should, but books can be difficult to resist, and having a decent staff discount helps! Without further ado, onto the books! All links go to The StroyGraph or Goodreads.

Bought:

As you might know, I work in the Children's Dept of a bookshop, and I recently put in a permanent LGBTQ+ YA section. In putting it in place, I've done a lot of research to make sure the right books are included, and I have discovered so many new-to-me titles! And I've ended up buying a few. So we have The Falling in Love Montage (4th June 2020) and Not My Problem (3rd June 2021) by Ciara Smyth, two lesbian romances that sound sweet and funny, Afterlove by Tanya Byrne (22nd July 2021), a supernatural lesbian romance, Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters (22nd June 2021), a creepy mystery with a bisexual protag and a f/f/m love triangle, Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales (10th March 2020), which is Grease, but make it gay (I loved Perfect on Paper, so I'm really excited for the this), and The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski (10th March 2020), the first book in a sapphic fantasy that I'm really excited for! It's actually a companion to The Winner's Curse trilogy, which I've not yet read, and I'm debating whether or not to read those first.

YA author and the woman behind LGBTQ Reads, Dahlia Adler has been a huge help in recommending titles to me to include in the new LGBTQ+ YA section. So, despite it not being sold in the UK and me not being able to put it on my shop's shelves, I ordered her novel Cool For the Summer by Dahlia Adler (11th May 2021) online, as a thank you and because it sounded awesome; Larissa has finally got together with Chase, after crushing on him for years, following a summer romance with Jasmine - despite never being interested in girls before - who has now started at her school, confusing Larissa's feelings and complicating her love life. It was really good! Read my review.

I was on annual leave for the last two weeks of August, and was in the mood for mysteries, so I bought The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (3rd Sept. 2020), as well as A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2nd May 2019) and Good Girl, Bad Blood (30th April 2020) by Holly Jackson! I also bought Serpent and Dove (4th Aug. 2020) and Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin; I read the first as an eBook last year and loved it (though yet to reviewed), and I have waited long enough to read the sequel, plus the third book was published this month! I've got to catch up!

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

During the YALC weekend (Friday 6th - Sunday 8th Aug), I found out both Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco (27th Oct 2020) and Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (16th Jan 2018) were Kindle deals, and bagged them both. I really love a mystery, so I'm intrigued by Truly Devious, and Kerri Maniscalco is hugely popular at work, and Kingdom of the Wicked, a supernatural/fantasy mystery, sounds right up my street!

Physical Review Copies:

I jumped at the chance to review Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan & Jennifer Niven* (31st Aug 2021), as I am such a massive fan of both Levithan and Niven, and I'm really looking forward to this hard hitting story of abuse and family secrets. I have been wanting to read a good retelling of Medusa for so long, so when I heard about Medusa by Jessie Burton and Olivia Lomenech Gill* (28th Oct 2021), an illustrated feminist retelling, I requested a reading copy through work. I've had a quick flick through already, and it's stunning! I'm so looking forward to reading it! (These titles aren’t pictured! Sorry!)

NetGalley eProofs:

Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke Wicked Little Deeds by Kat Ellis


Being a huge fan of fairy tales, there was no way I couldn't request Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco* (1st Oct 2021), a fantasy inspired by fairy tales; refugess of the magical world of Avalon find themselves in Arizona after the Snow Queen encased their home in ice and destroyed magic, but with the return of the Firebird, they might just stand a chance at getting it back. Doesn't it sound amazing?!

I also love Brigid Kemmerer's fantasy novels, so I'm so eager to read her latest, Defy the Night* (14th Sept 2021), about a world rules by merciless royals, a sickness plaguing the land, and an apothecary assistant who decides to take matter into her own hands when the royals take a step too far.

Give me all the witches, please! The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke* (30th Sept 2021) is a story of child disappearances, changeling creatures created by witches, and a sister found twenty years after she disappeared - but still seven-years-old. I'm so excited for this!

I've been on quite the horror kick recently, so thought I would give Wicked Little Deeds by Kat Ellis* (5th Aug 2021) a go, despite not enjoying her last novel, Harrow Lake. A town full of superstitions that may have some truth to them, a girl murdered and her best friend, Ava, the prime suspect, a killer with a vendetta against Ava's family. I'm so intrigued!

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson


During YALC, Hot Key Books made The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis* (1st Oct 2019) available to request on NetGalley again, so I jumped on it! A feminist dystopian fantasy that sounds hard hitting but powerful. I'm really looking forward to it!

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain* (2nd Sept 2021) is a supernatural thriller that sounds creepy and atmospheric, and right up my street! And look at that cover! Isn't it gorgeous?!

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes* (9th Sept 2021) is the sequel to The Inheritance Games. I'm really chuffed to have the sequel to dive into as soon as I finish the first!

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson* (5th Aug 2021) is the final book in the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy. Now I have the whole set, and can read them all!

The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski The Symmetry of Stars by Alex Myers The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska Not Here to be Liked by Michelle Quach


The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski* (9th Sept 2021) is the sequel to The Midnight Lie, so I can read it as soon as I've finished the latter!

The Symmetry of Stars by Alex Myers* (30th Sept 2021) is a retelling of the Italian legend of Orlando Furioso, and follows a bet between gods Nature and Nurture as they each bring up a set of twins in line with their beliefs, they're champions, who they will set against each other. It sounds so, so good! I can't wait to read it!

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska*(7th Dec 2021) is a high fantasy I could not miss out on. Set in a world where witches are burned, two enchantresses compete to win the affections of the prince, as his pure heart means power, but end up falling for each other.

Not Here to be Liked by Michelle Quach (16th Sept 2021) sounds like such an awesome feminist romance with an "unlikable" narrator who wants the position of editor-in-chief at her school's paper, but is instead given to an injured baseball player looking for something to do, because no-one likes her.

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone The Wanderer by Josie Williams The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl


Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstonesounds dark and creepy and I'm really intrigued! I'm really looking forward to it!

The Wanderer by Josie Williamssounds like a really cute supernatural romance, and I'm really excited to read it!

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl sounds absolutely incredible! Murder mystery, reimagined fairy tales with curses, an acearo protagonist and an f/f romance! I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am that I was approved to read this book!

With thanks to Penguin, Bloomsbury Children's Books, Hot Key Books, Electric Monkey, Hodder & Stoughton, HarperVoyager, Sourcebooks Fire, Usborne, Titan, and Firefly Press for all review copies and eProofs.


Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What books are in your August haul? Let me know in the comments!

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